The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-03-23

Aoi do Ii clbilIi otHeis, HoI So quick,
would only get to England; while some
would not have time to get even as far.
And so, when the continuity of land
was broken up, Ireland had received
fewer than England, and England
itself only portion of the continental
species; and itmay be that Ireland was
separated from England before the lat
ter was severed from the continent. The
smaller native flora of Ireland is ac-
counted for by the same facts.
Geology is no respecter of nations.
Not only does it show us our proud
island as a mere fragment of the CONT
nent, but we are also assured
that some of our chief rivers were only
tributaries of the Rhine. We fear that
some patriotic politicians will have
quarrel with geology on this point.
During a portion of the glacial period,
the land was covered, or nearly so, by
the sea, and afterwards united by the
continent, chiefly by plain of bowlder
clay. Through this plain Prof. Ram
sey thinks the Rhine wandered to its
mouth in the north part of the North
sea; while the Thames, the Tyne, the
rivers of the Wash and Humber, and
possibly some Scottish rivers, were it's
tributaries. Thus the solid lands and
the constant rivers are shown to be
mere passing phases in an ever-chang-
ing picture.
The political geography of Europe
has undergone great changes in his
toric times; geology tells of extensive
physical changes in the more distant
past. The outlines of a physical geog-
raphy very different from that of to-day
have been sketched out for us in the
caves and on the rocks. Biologists
have transferred the sketch to paper
in the ordinary style of map-drawing
Here is an outline of it: The Bristol
channel is a fertile valley, where the
horse, bison, elk, mammoth and rhi.
noceros browse on the rich heritage.
Lions, wolves and other beasts of prey
pursue and devour them, where now
the salt waves roll. The British Isles
are united to the continent, and the
Rhine flows along a great valley,
now the North sea, and is
joined by its tributaries, the Elbe.
Thames. etc. Extensive valleys occupy
the sites of the English and St. Georges
channels, where the herbivora Craze,
and are pursued by their carnivorous
contemporaries. Spain, and Italy with
Sicily, being respectively joined to
Africa, divide the Mediterranean into
two large lakes; Corsica and Sardinia
united form great promontory,
stretching out into the most western of
these. Across these connecting areas
the animals of Africa-the lion. spotted
hyena, Kafr cat, serval, antelope and
African elephant-pass into Europe.
After long ages their remains are found
in the caves, to testify of this former
state of things. Geology receives
aid from every other science,
and in return throws back light upon
each. Meteorology, or the science of
the weather, is one on which geology
largely depends; it furnishes the key
note for the resolution Of many geologic
al problems. In return, geology has
enriched it with many interesting facts
with regard to the weather of the ages
that are gone. Rain-prints and ripple
marks on slabs of sandstone or shale
tell us that the rain fell, and that the
wind ruffled the surface of the water.
Rounded fragments and striated peb-
bles tell us Of rivers rolling along their
gravel, and glaciers moving down the
valleys. Such evidence is so common
and well known, that it ceases to
surprise us. When, however, we
hear that there is good
geological evidence to show
that in times so remote as the Silurian,
the prevailing winds in this region
were westerly, as they are to-day, our
wonder can no longer be restrained.
Evidence of the prevailing westerly
winds in the present is seen in the one
sided growth of trees towards the east
in exposed situations. The growth of
large towns towards the west, to avoid
the smoke from the manufacturing
quarters, is another proof. and what
is the witness OF the rocks to a similar
prevalence in the past? Long ago,
| when the rocks which we call
Silurian were being laid down,
| Wales was center of volcanic
activity. Mount Snowdon is formed OF
the products of the. volcanoes of the
period, interstratified with contempt
raneous sedimentary rocks. The roots
of some of these old volcanoes have
been found and examined. The ash
beds around them thin out very rapidly
| toward the west, while to the east and
north they are much thicker. Toward
the east they thicken for space, and
then thin out. 1t is evident that the
greater part of the lighter volcanic
products fell to the east of the mount
aims. The natural explanation is,
that the wind blew more strongly and
frequently from the west and southwest
than from other quarters.
Geology teaches us that countless
forms of life have passed away, as far
as we can tell. forever:
| From scarped cliff and quarried stone,
She cries, thousand types are gone.
Species and genera which once had q